Skating carhops compete for Sonic's top honor in I-Drive event

Wearing a lime green shirt, black shorts and purple roller skates with green wheels, Sanchez, 18, strutted her stuff Saturday during the flare portion of the Sonic Skate-Off, a nationwide competition to find the top carhop in the U.S.

More than 40 carhops mostly from Central Florida, as well as a few from Ocala and Gainesville, showed off their skills for the regional submission event, held at the Sonic Drive-In on International Drive.

Skaters from the chain nationally-known for its wheeling servers were put through a series of tests, including a mock delivery, a freestyle event and an interview, to showcase their carhop abilities. Each skater was videotaped, and a panel of judges will evaluate the carhops on technique, personality and wow factor.

Of the skaters from the 3,500 Sonic stores nationwide, only six will go on to compete at the finals in Dallas in August. The winner of the Skate-Off, now in its third year, will be announced at Sonic's national convention in San Antonio in September.

While being videotaped, Sanchez, who works at the Sonic on Semoran Boulevard near State Road 408, spun in circles, waved her arms and displayed what she called her "Puerto Rican pizzazz". During the dance, she made sure not to take a spill, which had happened while she was learning the craft of carhop.

"I'm not going to lie: I've fallen a few times," said Sanchez.

She made it through the routine without crashing, and smiled until the end.

"That's what Sonic's about," Sanchez said.

Carhops are big part of what separates Sonic from other on-the-go restaurants like McDonald's or Taco Bell, said John Salama, the company's vice president of training. Since Sonic opened its first location in Oklahoma in 1950s, the chain has employed skating servers.

"Carhops are nostalgic," said Salama. "Our skaters are truly the treasure of Sonic…It's something you can't get anywhere else."

Today, servers can choose between delivering orders on traditional roller skates or in-line skates. Sanchez said she wears roller skates because they're "old-school."

Kelli Dombroski, a carhop at the Sonic in Longwood, strapped on a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads before heading over to the mock delivery challenge of the Skate-Off.

Holding a red tray and balancing a paper bag and a drink, Dombroski, 19, approached the car, read back the order and handed over the food. The men in the car — both Sonic representatives — interacted with Dombroski as if they were real customers.

She then rolled away, making sure to smile, which is an important part of the Sonic experience, Salama said.

Evelyn Mejia arrived at the competition early because the 17-year-old from Summerfield, near Ocala, had to work Saturday evening. She saw previous competitions on YouTube, and wanted to try out.

Mejia, whose multicolored skates clashed with her multicolor knee-high socks, skated around the parking lot for practice, then did the interview, the freestyle event and the service test.

"I think I did awesome," Mejia said. "I was nervous at first, but after a while I loosened up a little bit and I got the hang of it."